Universal announces July opening date for Harry Potter's Diagon Alley

ORLANDO, Fla. — The new Harry Potter-themed area at Universal Orlando Resort is set to open early next month.
 
Universal officials announced Wednesday that Diagon Alley, the new Harry Potter attraction at Universal Studios Park, will open July 8. It will double the size of the Harry Potter landscape in the park and will be tied via the Hogwarts Express train to the original Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal's Island of Adventure.
 
The new area's centerpiece ride, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, will take visitors into Gringotts bank to help retrieve a magical object and re-create a scene from the popular book and movie series.

There will be shops, dining experiences including Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour, and a new ride called Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, a multi-sensory, multi-dimensional journey that will take theme park attractions to a new level.

The announcement came four years to the day that the Wizarding World opened at Islands of Adventure.

"But we knew then, already that we wanted to take our guests into some other awesome places within the Harry Potter story," said Thierry Coup with Universal Creative.

Universal officials said there will be more to come.

"We're far from finished. There are many, many, many stories to tell and adventures to create for our guests as we move into the future," said Bill Davis, president of Universal Orlando Resort.

If fans want to see both parks, a two-park ticket is required. For adults, a two-park ticket for one day costs $136; for children, it's $130.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

WFTV